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Mine are in the 3rd and 6th grades. While I'm doing math with one the other reads, then we switch. They enjoy listening to both social studies lessons, then they do their individual workbook pages. Science is another multi-type where one person has their writing assignment, then they switch. We do art, music, PE, cursive (brush up for my oldest), and Latin together.

Mine are 5, 6 and 8. They have Science and History together with age/ability appropriate activities to follow the lesson. We have music, art, gym and home ec together. They do language arts/ phonics (spelling for the oldest) and math at the same times, but different lessons taught in different ways. My oldest is an auditory learner so he listens/watches the Math U See video for his lesson while my youngest makes creations with the manipulatives and I teach the lesson to my middle. Then My middle does a worksheet on his own and my oldest does a worksheet on his own while I teach a lesson to my youngest using the manipulatives.

We don't really take breaks at all. We work from 7:30- 12:30. We eat a "food for thought" snack at 10:00 while we do either a history lesson, nutrition, home ec, or I read them a story. They can go to the bathroom any time they need to and my youngest can go run around the house or jump on the porch any time he needs to. They do have some silent reading, gym with the wii, and educational computer games during the afternoon, but all taught lessons are finished by a late lunch at 12:30.

Depends on the ages of the kids. When mine were little, school only took about an hour and a half or two hours. We did lots of read alouds together while they snacked and I combined science and history to include everybody.

2... have "fall back" work or games they can do while you are working with some one else. (like a book box that is geared toward their current science or social studies subjects, or say you are studying anatomy, have some games made that they can do like puzzles and putting together bones or unscrambling the names of muscle groups or a digestion puzzle... change up the box once a month so it is not the same. Include a variety of activities that don't need your help.

3.... for math or other areas you feel you need them to be "on grade level" or something, then put your money here in curriculum that is less hands on for you. For example, my kids do Math U See this year and it has been wonderful. I don't do anything but help if they need it. They watch a DVD, do a few pages per day, take a test when done with the pages... I grade it, they move on or I review what they missed a few times.

4. If you have the money for a few educational things on the computer, (or the time to scour for free stuff), it's a good alternate activity while you are doing other stuff.

5. If you live in a state that requires you to keep logs or something, create a half sheet for the kids to fill out (things you do all the time, then make spaces for them to just check off the common things and a few blank spaces to fill in extras. Have their sheets kept somewhere convenient with a pencil or two and they can turn these in before bed each night. The next day, during a quiet moment, review these and fill out the previous day's log.

6. Everyone chips in. Chores for everyone and everyone picks up after themselves. Be tough, throw things away (or donate) even if they cost you money. Kids will keep things out of your way if they know they will lose them.

I have a very peppy song about toys on the floor going on eBay. The peeps move pretty quickly if I begin to sing it!

Quoting KrissyKC:

6. Everyone chips in. Chores for everyone and everyone picks up after themselves. Be tough, throw things away (or donate) even if they cost you money. Kids will keep things out of your way if they know they will lose them.

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